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Page 1

Nova Scotia

Youth Conservation Corps

This lichen project is one of the only air monitoring

projects in Nova Scotia using life forms to gauge air

quality.

The life forms we are dealing with are lichens. Com-

posed of fungus and algae, lichens are found primarily

on trees and rocks and, in Nova Scotia, are most abun-

dant in moist environments out of direct sunlight, such

as thick forest canopy.

Over our two month project, sponsored by the Depart-

ment of Environment and Labour, we will be using the

unique sensitivity of certain lichens to air quality as our

primary tool. We will be establishing monitoring plots

throughout Nova Scotia, including nine in Cape Breton.

The presents or absence of various species of lichen,

affected by the local air quality, at these sites will be

used as a base line of data for further monitoring of

these sites. The further monitoring will be carried out

by local groups, such as naturalists societies, schools,

and nature enthusiasts.

Lichen Air Monitoring Project Crew: Heather Ander-

chuck, Andrew Norman, Christopher Taylor (Entire

Province)

L

UNGS TO

L

ICHEN

The Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps began in 1989 as a vision for getting youth involved with

their communities and local environmental issues. Youth are the future, but more importantly Youth

Are Now. The NSYCC strives to give Nova Scotia youth (aged 17-24) hands-on experience in environ-

mental issues, which will increase their understanding of local and global environmental issues.

Working in a team with Community Partners, the NSYCC has over 40 youth working across the prov-

ince on projects falling under 4 primary groups: waste and resource management, environmental

education, watershed management and air quality. These projects, along with the Environmental

Leadership Projects (more on page 4) and NSYCC requirements, such as a minimum of two public

presentations on their projects, are providing Nova Scotia youth with the skills to be effective and

educated environmental stewards and well-rounded members of their communities. Please take the

time to read through this newsletter and learn a little more about our projects and organization.

Volume 27. Issue 1.

July 2005

NSYCC — M

AKING A DIFFERENCE FOR YOUTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

IN YOUR

C

OMMUNITY

Putting exactly what we

are doing into a few

words is not easy. It can

be best described as

“proper quick-service

restaurant waste disposal in accordance

with Nova Scotia’s Solid Waste-Resource

Management Strategy”. This entails visiting

establishments with the intention of viewing

the sorting system in place and educating

and encouraging them to make simple

adjustments to have 100% compliance with

the Strategy. We do waste audits to see

what sort of separation system would be

efficient and obtain materials that we can

provide to better their system. We teach the

quick service restaurants about the two-bag

recycling system as well as what goes in the

green cart. We are very happy to come in

and train their staff and the public on how

to properly separate waste. In 2000, half

the waste produced in NS was diverted from

landfills, we intend to achieve an even

higher goal.

Waste Check Crew: Kelly Meuse and

Sheena Purdy (Yarmouth)

S

ORTING

W

ASTE

Our first week at the Ecology Action Centre was punctuated by

the launch of the Steer Clean program. This event took place

at the Hillcrest Volkswagen on Robie Street in Halifax. The

event was highly publicized through the media. Cars were

crushed for recycling, and Mr. Lahey (Trailer Park Boys) made a

guest appearance. As a result of the launch, the program has

had a successful first week.

Aside from the Steer Clean program, we have spent the first

week planning our activities for the rest of the summer, and

attending training sessions. One training session was a bicycle

safety course put on by

Environment Canada.

Here we learned how to

properly navigate the

roads, as well as some

off road maneuvers.

Looking ahead, we

hope to conduct vari-

ous public information

sessions to educate

people about sustain-

able transportation

options.

Sustainable Transpor-

tation Crew: Janice

Ashworth

and Alex

Longmire

(Halifax)

T

AKING ON

S

USTAINABLE

T

RANSPORTATION IN THE

HRM

T

RACKING

C

HANGE AT

B

LUFF

T

RAIL

The NSYCC is

youth making a

difference now for

a cleaner Earth.

Working in collaboration with the Five Bridge

Wilderness Heritage Trust, it is our goal to

create a comprehensive index of the flora

found along the first two loops of the Bluff

Trail, a 3o km trail cut out of a relatively un-

touched area in the Woodens Watershed but

sandwiched amidst many areas of development. The necessity

of this project is therefore twofold. Firstly, the index will serve

as a record of the present flora in the area which could be later

used in studies of ecosystem community dynamics or could

serve as a comparison for the effects of development on the

area. Secondly, the index will be used to create a companion

guide for people who use the Bluff Trail. Ideally, this will facili-

tate use of the area both recreationally and educationally which

will help demonstrate the importance of the Bluff Wilderness

Hiking Trail and similar areas in the HRM.

5 Bridge Community Trust Crew: Dave Mealiea and Krystle

Olson (Hubley)

P e o p l e a n d N a t u r e . W o r k i n g .

P

LOVER

L

OVERS

Cape Sable Island is identified as an Important

Bird Area because it is the nesting spot of

many unique migratory bird species. The Wel-

come Center is a facility where tourists and

locals can learn more about the surrounding

bird life. As we work in the Center we offer

information to birding enthusiasts, such as, the

best birding spots and other environmental

facts. The Welcome Center is a great environ-

mental resource for our area. The Nova Scotia

Piping Plover Guardian Program is based around aiding the survival of this

endangered species as well as raising public awareness. As we spend time

on our beaches, the public learns of the efforts being made to save the

piping plover and how they as community members can contribute to the

efforts. Every effort, large or small, will make a significant difference for

these fragile animals.

Important Bird Area Crew: Tiffany Comely and Robin Sears (Clark’s Harbour)

Photo by: Margo Ellen Gesser

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Page 2

Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps

Page 2

Our two-person crew will be stationed here for

nine intense weeks. Our mission: to raise environ-

mental awareness within this corporate complex.

Phase 1: Assess the environmental practices of the

offices and the building as a whole. Phase 2: Evaluate

assessments and deliver feedback. We will then en-

gage in non-confrontational negotiations to improve

practices relating to energy efficiency, composting,

water consumption, waste reduction and general envi-

ronmental stewardship. Final Phase: To develop an audit/

document that other buildings may use as a template for future

environmental audits. We are well into our time here, and after

thorough reconnaissance we have initiated contact with target

organizations in preparation for Phase 1. Documentation is near

completion. Stand-by for updates. Over and out.

Roy Building Crew: Maxx Hartt and Colleen Connolly (Halifax)

“OUR MISSION:

To raise

environmental

awareness within

this corporate

complex.”

N

INE

M

ILE

R

IVER

P

ROJECT

The Water and Wastewater Project has two components.

Alex is working on an inventory of the dams and other water-

course alterations, starting with HRM and branching out from

there as time permits. The process of completing the inventory

includes background research about the dams then going out

to the sites to get recent photos as well as GPS coordinates.

The purpose of this inventory is to get more organized with

water management in the province.

Courtney is compiling a similar inventory of wastewater facili-

ties in central, northern, and eastern Nova Scotia. Operational,

approval, and contact information, GPS coordinates and recent

photos are recorded for database inclusion. This database

increases accessibility to site characteristics, and makes con-

struction of conclusive site lists easier. She is also formatting a

program to help facility operators improve treatment efficiency

through better understanding of data obtained from sampling.

Water and Wastewater Crew: Courtney MacMullin and Alex

MacKay (Eastern, Central and Northern NS)

W

ATER AND

W

ASTEWATER

P

ROJECT

Nine Mile River Crew in Action!

Steph Rogers and Tyson Daoust put

the Hydrolab in the river with the

help of Erin Edmundson (Support

Staff) and Kevin Garroway from the

Saint Mary’s University Community

Base Environmental Monitoring

Network (Community Partner)

Our project is aimed at monitoring the water quality of the Nine Mile River, ob-

taining baseline data for two kilometers of the river, and identifying problem

areas based on shoreline classification. The results, which will include data

such as suspended solids, E.coli, and coliform counts, will be used to determine

the overall health of the river. Our findings will also be used to promote the

importance of water quality in the river, and ways in which to improve and main-

tain river water quality.

To date, we have prepared our field sites to be monitored, classified, and

mapped. We have also begun monitoring the water quality of the Nine Mile

River by taking bi-hourly readings as well as an E.coli and coliform test.

Our project will educate the community about the river, and what can be done to

improve its health for the benefit of all living things that utilize this resource.

Nine Mile River Crew: Tyson Daoust and Steph Rogers (Halifax and Elmsdale)

R

OY

B

UILDING

A

UDIT

A

LIENS IN

W

OLFVILLE

This is no conspiracy: alien plant spe-

cies are invading our backyards on a

regular basis! The NSYCC students at

Acadia’s K.C. Irving Environmental Sci-

ence Centre in Wolfville are working on

an invasive alien plants project directed

at raising awareness in the community.

The Crew will be spending their summer

gallivanting over the countryside on

invasive plant patrol, working in the

beauteous Harriet Irving Botanical Gar-

dens, putting together a fun and educa-

tional play for students, and much

more!

Invasive plants are a growing concern

for communities. They can reduce local

biodiversity, displace plants and ani-

mals, clog up streams and rivers, block

cycling and walking trails, and cause

costly damage to homes and properties!

Educating members of the community is

an effective way of addressing the prob-

lem while also creating a sense of envi-

ronmental stewardship.

Alien Plant Crew: Suman Gupta, Thea

Whitman and Jordan MacDonald

(Wolfville)

Well, it’s summer again- the time when salesmen and girl-guides alike will be banging on your

door, looking to sell you some vacuum cleaners and cookies. But this summer, there will be

someone else knocking- the Tox-free crew members!

We’ll be coming to a doorbell near you to talk to you about the toxic

products that you use at home. Our goal is to educate the public

about some of the nasty side effects these products can have,

especially on our environment. After all, a clean harbour starts at

home!

Don’t worry, we’re not trying to sell you anything - except the idea

of helping out your community! We’ll even supply you with some free samples of alternative

cleaning products that are better for the environment, and a book chock full of recipes for clean-

ers you can make yourself.

This summer, we want to make your home, and our harbour, tox-free!

Tox-Free Crew: Kaitlin Ryan and Trevor Marchand (Dartmouth)

T

ALKING

T

OX

-F

REE

“This summer,

we want to

make your

home, and our

harbour, tox-

free!”

The NSYCC has 25 projects throughout Nova

Scotia this summer!

We’ve never thought this much about poop in our lives. Imagine yourself giving an entire community the first

impression that you had a passion for poop. It’s amazing how comfortable they still are to welcome us into their

homes. But our project is more than just a bunch of poop, we are trying to change old habits of water use and

hazardous waste disposal. We explain to community members the workings of septic systems, proper water

consumption habits, and maintenance. We also give them free samples of biodegradable soap, sheets of infor-

mation, and the toilet tank bank to reduce water during flushing.

When we aren’t at home visits we are based out of Bennett Park building trails, cleaning up garbage, getting

bitten by ants, arranging educational kids days, and trying to initiate a sports day for older youth in the area.

The best environmental tips we’ve learned from our travels in the Mineville community are:

1. Ants won’t walk on baby power

2. How to make laundry detergent from scratch

1 cup grated soap of your choice (Castille recommended)

³ cup borex

³ cup washing soda (optional)

¼ cup baking soda

Use 1 tablespoon for light load, 2 tablespoons for heavy load.

Septic Awareness Crew: Kelly Mazerolle

and Michael Morang (Mineville)

F.E.C.E.S.

F

ABULOUS

E

NVIRONMENTAL

C

OMMUNITY

E

DUCATION ON

S

EPTICS

K

EEPING THE

S

HORES

S

PARKLING

Along with the Pitu’ Paq Organization and the

municipal counties in Cape Breton, the Eskasoni

Crew is working together to keep the shores of

the Bras d’Or sparkling. These two University

students are well on their way to making an influ-

ential impact toward promoting the Bras d’Or

Lakes in being a Non-discharge zone. They will

do community outreach education, publish bro-

chures, signs and posters, as well as implement a

website for public awareness of the designation

soon to hit the Bras d’Or.

For more information contact the UINR at (902)

379-2163 or via email at alyssia@uinr.ca

Bras d’Or Crew: Norman Silliboy and Alyssia

Jeddore (Eskasoni)

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Page 3

Volume 27. Issue 1.

S

AFE

B

OATING AND

S

TORM

D

RAIN

A

WARENESS

Page 3

During the past few weeks, NSYCC, in cooperation with the Atlantic Coastal Action Program - Cape Breton,

has taken on three crew members for various projects. The Crew is currently working on Storm Drain

Awareness and a Clean Boating Campaign in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Storm Drain Awareness is designed to make the public conscious that reduction at source of harmful con-

taminants is vital to the sustainability of our watershed. This year, there is a new Sewage Treatment facility

that breaks down normal waste water; however, it is incapable of breaking

down harsh chemicals. These chemicals are then released back into our

waterways. The crew members are taking initiative to paint yellow fish on

every storm drain serviced by the plant.

Boating is a very popular activity throughout Cape Breton. To alleviate detri-

mental effects to our waterways, there is a clean boating campaign. The

crew has been presenting the public with helpful information and free bilge

socks. These socks help reduce the amount of oil and gasoline pumped

overboard into our water.

Public service announcements and press releases have been released for both projects. Posters and ad-

vertisements will be seen throughout the CBRM to alert the public of these initiatives. These projects are

building blocks towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for Cape Breton Island.

ACAP-Cape Breton Crew: Chris House, Hannah MacDonald, and Matthew Bryden (Sydney)

“These

chemicals are

then released

back into our

waterways”

Above: ACAP Crew paints fish on sewer

drains to remind community members that

the storm drains run to the ocean.

Directly Above: A close up of a painted fish.

T

RAINING

C

AMP

2005

This summer’s NSYCC Training Camp was held over three days at the end of June

at the AgriTECH Park conference facilities in Bible Hill. The annual Training Camp

provides an opportunity for all the NSYCC regular crew members and ELP partici-

pants from all across the province to get together and learn about each other

and about the NSYCC. The three days were filled with community-building

activities, environmental workshops as well as some practical health and

safety sessions. The Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps would like to

extend a special thank you to the following people, without which the

Training Camp would not have been possible: Victoria Bruce, Jim Mustard,

Steven Michael (and family), Sharon MacKenzie, Tina Kane, Kathy Palko,

Jason Rae, Sean McKean and Courtney’s First Aids Aid and Safety Train-

ing Inc.

O

UTDOOR

L

EARNING

My first two weeks with the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps has

been spent planning and organizing the two Wilderness Adventure Camps

that the Natural Resources Education Centre puts on each summer. The

first of the camps, for ages 7-9, starts on the 18th, and the second camp,

for ages 10-12, starts the following Monday. There are close to thirty

children in each camp, and we do a ton of really cool activities with them,

including bringing in an entomologist for a bug hunt, a reptile show, a tree

walk, a pond program, an afternoon of survival challenges, and other

forest related activities. The Thursday night of the older camp is spent

sleeping outside in brush shelters at a woodlot a few miles from NREC.

We have a camp fire, and tell a lot of stories. These camps are great,

because all of the kids and I both learn so much!

Environmental Education Centre Crew: Wendy Holman (Musquodoboit)

B

UILDING

T

RAILS

F

OR

L

EARNING

S

OMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

:

After idling your car for only 10 seconds it is more cost efficient to turn the engine off.

The Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps is a government organiza-

tion that links youth between the ages of 17 and 24 with community

based environmental projects throughout Nova Scotia. NSYCC work-

ers typically work in crews of two or more and are paid a competitive

wage of $8.50 per hour. Applicants must be students returning to

school in Fall 2006 and preference will be given to those applicants

with demonstrable interest in environmental issues. If you are inter-

ested in applying for a position with the Summer 2006 NSYCC team,

please send your cover letter, resume along with an NSYCC applica-

tion (see website) to nsycc@gov.ns.ca or 5151 Terminal Road, 5

th

Fl.,

P.O. Box 697, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 2T8.

S

OLID

W

ASTE

M

ANAGEMENT

So far in the Region 6 Solid Waste Management Project we have

done a complete bin survey in many of the quick

serve (fast food) restaurants in Lunenburg and

Queens County. This survey is to see what type

of solid waste bins are being utilized in each

individual restaurant. The goal of the survey is to

gather enough information to create a databank

which will serve as a quick reference for inter-

views which will be conducted shortly after all

the bin surveying is completed. A side project we

have taken on is to monitor the public waste bin usage in the

Region 6 area. The information gathered through this project will

be used as a tool to design a more efficient waste disposal unit

for the region. We are looking forward to seeing the results of this

project.

Region 6 Waste Management Crew: Dana Hazeldine and

Matthew Randall (Liverpool)

The NSYCC provides youth

with competitive wages of at

least $8.50/hr.

That’s two bucks above mini-

mum wage!

The Oxford Regional High School in Cumberland County is adjacent to approximately

60 acres of mature private lands comprising of a wetland, abandoned farmland, and

a mixture of tree species, including white, red and black spruce, eastern larch, white

and jack pine, and grey birch. The property offers a unique opportunity to showcase

a variety of wildlife habitat and forest ecosystems. The Northumberland Trail Educa-

tion Initiative is the development of an interpretive trail throughout this property for

the educational benefit of high school students and the community. This year the

trail will be enhanced by developing interpretive signage, study plots and a 250m

extension of the trail.

Northumberland Trail Education Initiative Crew: Julian Merlin

and Christie McClelland (Oxford)

G

ET THINKING ABOUT NEXT SUMMER NOW SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE SUMMER

JOB YOU REALLY WANTED

!

F

LIPPING

B

URGERS

A

GAIN

T

HIS

S

UMMER

?

NSYCC projects cover a variety of topics, from endangered species

to septic tanks to sorting waste!

Contact us today about how to get involved!

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Page 4

Phone: 902-424-4924

Fax: 902-424-3571

Email: nsycc@gov.ns.ca

Website: www.gov.ns.ca/enla/youth

5151 Terminal Rd

5th Floor

Halifax, NS B3J 2T8

P e o p l e a n d

N a t u r e .

W o r k i n g .

I

NTERESTED IN BECOMING A

C

OMMUNITY

P

ARTNER FOR

S

UMMER

2006?

Write a project proposal, which describes your project in depth and should include budgetary ex-

pectations. In order to be eligible for NSYCC crew member funding you must be able to demon-

strate (in your proposal) that your project reflects one or more of the four core themes of the

NSYCC. You should also demonstrate that the project will provide an opportunity for the personal

growth and development of youth as well as having lasting and self-sustaining environmental and

community benefits. You must also be able to show that the proposed project would follow all the

Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety standards and that you are able to provide one quar-

ter of the wage costs as well as provide any materials, equipment, special equipment training,

transportation required for the project and supervision and work space for two, three, or four crew

workers. Proposals will be accepted starting October 2005 and the deadline will be March 4

th

,

2006. Send proposals to: Program Coordinator, Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps, Nova

Scotia Environment and Labour, 5151 Terminal Road, 5th floor, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2T8 or to

nsycc@gov.ns.ca

As we near the end of our second week of work, we are still

smoothing out the kinks of our survey, gathering supplies for

upcoming events and brainstorming goals for the summer.

Our survey is to find out if people compost, and if they do,

what and how much are they com-

posting; and if they don’t compost,

why they are not recycling their

organic material.

Also, another major part of our

survey is to find out if residents in

areas without green cart collection

would like to see their municipality

provide curbside collection. We have completed surveying

Guysborough, Canso and Mulgrave and have found out

some interesting results so far. We will be completing a

public presentation at the 33

rd

Annual Guysborough Street

Parade.

We started to work on a composting brochure will be distrib-

uted throughout our region. We also have plans for a litter

clean up in a messy area in Guysborough and an educational

day trip to the Guysborough Second Generation landfill site.

Backyard Composting Crew: Jeffrey Myers, Lindsey Hall,

Matthew Avery and Victoria Hines (Guysborough)

M

AKING

G

UYSBOROUGH

C

OMPOST

F

RIENDLY

“FEED THE

LANDSCAPE,

NOT THE

LANDFILL”

Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps is working to

help restore the Lockeport’s beautiful Rood's Head

Park.This summer we plan on restoring Rood's Head

so that it will reach it's full potential. Many improve-

ments have been properly planned and this summer

they will be accomplished. Some of our goals are:

rock gardens, cleaning the beach debris, trimming

alder's, filling in pot holes, cleaning buildings, mak-

ing tent sites and pathways. We are already well on

our way and have begun mowing, picking up gar-

bage, cleaning and making pathways. This is the

second year for the project and we plan on keeping

up the pace with the great improvements made last

year!

Rood’s Head Park Crew: Shea Balish and April

Whiteway. (Lockeport)

P

ARK

R

ESTORATION

L

ONG

O

VERDUE

This newsletter was writ-

ten on 100% recycled

paper from Minuteman

Press in Halifax, the only

print shop we could get

to do it!

Building a trail through the misty Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Constructing a road-side sign out of

a dead tree you found in the forest. Cleaning a riverbank of debris and teaching English to the local school-

children. Walking from tree to tree by hanging bridges, listening for a toucan call, hoping for a glimpse of a

spider monkey. Sharing everything with your fellow participants who have grown as close as family, not to

mention your host families who are feeding you gallo pinto (rice and beans) like it’s goin’ out of style.

This is the NSYCC's Environmental Leadership Program, an exchange between Nova Scotia, Newfoundland

and Costa Rica. Twelve youth from two countries were matched up this summer, spending two months

spread out across rural Costa Rica, completing environmentally-based projects and participating in a

unique cross-cultural exchange. Now, they have all returned, and it is the Costa Ricans' turn to live and

work with their Nova Scotian counterparts. From the Sackville River to Blomidon Provincial Park, and from

Trenton Park to the Municipality of Antigonish, these teams are hard at work and taking their Costa Rican

adventure home with them.

E

NVIRONMENTAL

L

EADERSHIP

/L

IDERAZGO

A

MBIENTAL IN

C

OSTA

R

ICA

!

HALIFAX

How would you like to

spend 7 weeks in Costa

Rica next summer? See

our website for more infor-

mation on the ELP Pro-

gram!

“U

NLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU

CARE A WHOLE AWFUL LOT

,

N

OTHING IS GOING TO GET

BETTER

. I

T

’

S

N

OT

.”

- D

R

. S

EUSS

, “

THE

L

ORAX

”

Our first few weeks were spent gathering

information and putting together a display

board that we can take to festivals and

locations this summer. We have traveled to

two communities so far and we were able

to speak with numerous people about safe

drinking water. Most of our information

deals with well and septic maintenance.

We also have some information on oil

tanks and bacterial testing. A lot of work

has been put into this display and the pub-

lic seems very interested in what we have

to say. We have put together many book-

lets, some of which are geared more for

children--this really comes in handy when

we attend community festivals! We have

been given composting and recycling bins

from other offices that have been attracting

many people to our displays as well. All in

all we are really enjoying our jobs and we

feel like we are learning a great deal!

Water Quality Crew: Danielle Bouchie and

Elisha Boudreau. (Port Hawkesbury)

A Q

UALITY

P

ROJECT